Down to the Depths Where the Sirens Sing
by LockedAndLokied
Summary: Today, Dick really regrets signing up for the voyage across the ocean, now that he's facing the dark ocean and the wicked storm. Today, Jason is giddy, as he feels that his luck is about to change as he watches the ship toss around in the ocean, and he just awaits an uninvited guest to drop in for a visit.


**PROLOGUE**

Dick's stomach rolled as the boat rolled and groaned beneath his feet. He leaned against the mast, closing his eyes as his stomach dropped again. Rain slicked his hair against his face, and they ran rivets down his face.

He was feeling sickly and cold. The captain had commanded them to release the sails, but the ropes were slick in his cold, numb fingers, making the work hard.

The ship crashed hard against an oncoming wave, making Dick lurch to the side, tossed across the deck of the ship. He grabbed the edge of the ship and promptly threw up over the side.

A couple moments later, Dick opened his eyes, wiping at his mouth weakly, still tasting the wine from dinner, mixed in with the acid of his stomach. He looked out over the stormy sea, praying silently to the gods for the tempest to calm. He made the mistake of looking down into the sea.

For a brief moment, Dick swore a pale white face stared back at him. But he blinked and stumbled to the side and the waves rolled again. There was nothing there.

Someone behind him yelled and one of the heavy ropes whipped around the side of the mast and smacked Dick in the face. He gasped, not yet processing the pain as he was knocked off his feet and over the side of the ship.

He plunged into the ice cold water, his breath knocked out of his lungs as he clawed desperately towards the surface of the murky waters.

As the waves tossed him head over heels, Dick no longer had any idea which way was up. The freezing cold pressed against his chest, slowly suffocating him. He couldn't see anything. He did not know whether his eyes were open or not. Dick could no longer feel his arms or legs. He did not know if he was dead or not.

He slowly drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

Dick awoke suddenly.

His teeth were chattering loudly, only stopping to cough loudly. Dick opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on his back, his wet clothes clinging to his cold skin. Everything hurt and was numb at the same time.

Slowly and unsteadily, Dick pushed himself up. He looked around, the sound of his chattering teeth bouncing off the walls of the cave, it seemed.

It was quite dark in the cave, the tiny bit of moonlight coming from a medium sized hole way above him. Dick had no idea how he had gotten in here. He barely remembered anything. Just a heavy storm, and being very, very cold.

Dick stood, slipping on the stone slightly. He noticed that he was not wearing any shoes. Dick looked up at the hole way above him. It would be impossible to reach unless he could climb up somehow. He looked around the cave, wondering if there were any rocks small enough for him to move, but big enough for him to stand on and climb out. He did not want to die in here, after all.

Dick found one wall of the cave and started making his way a bit deeper within. Just a couple steps and he felt the wall curve. Pebbles stung the soles of his feet, but Dick kept going, keeping one hand on the wall, and one hand in front of him.

Suddenly, he tripped over something. Dick tumbled to the ground, coughing and sputtering. He spit, clearing his mouth of salt water from his long hair, and squinted at the object he had tripped over.

It was something long and white.

Dick reached out and grabbed it. It was stuck to something. He pulled.

There was a loud rattling noise as the object came loose into his hand. Dick scrambled back, clutching the object. The tumbling stopped a few seconds later, and Dick looked down.

It was a large bone. Dick quickly tossed the bone away, wiping his hands on his wet clothes and shivering. He slowly crept forward again, inching towards the area he had found the bone, to see what had come tumbling down. Perhaps another opening?

His toe touched the edge of something loose and something came rolling down into the light. A human skull. Dick gasped and leapt back again. His eyes flickered to the dark corner. Now that his eyesight had adjusted to the darkness a bit more, Dick could see that there was a large pile of carefully balanced bones piled there. Dick had pulled the leg off of one of the skeletons, sending the whole pile coming down. There were at least five skulls in the pile, their bony grins and sunken eyes staring at him. Dick backed up into the light again, kicking the first skull away from him, back into the pile.

He reached the opposite wall, which was probably ten feet away, and he slid down the wall, grabbing his knees and clutching them to his chest.

He could not help it. Dick whimpered, the sound echoing.

He was going to die here. Whatever had brought him into this place did not want him escaping. It had plans for him.

Dick sat there trembling from cold and fear, waiting for his doom.

He kept his eyes trained on the hole, his only means of escape, so high above him. He did not know if he was hoping for a rescuer or for his kidnapper to arrive. Whoever came first. He certainly hoped it was a savior.

As the dark starry night slowly lightened, Dick's posture did not relax. He could see more clearly now.

His clothes had become damp, no longer dripping wet. His long hair was stuck together in heavy clumps, clinging to his face.

Suddenly, something large flew over the hole in the ceiling, blocking out the light for a split second. Dick stopped breathing. A moment passed, and it came back around again. Dick started silently trembling again.

There was a loud whoosh and the dark object flew through the hole in the ceiling and filled the cave with its presence. It was huge.

Dick squeezed his eyes shut and awaited certain death.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

" _Last night, I had the strangest dream."_

" _Yeah? Was it a good strange, or a bad strange?"_

* * *

The dark figure landed lightly on the slick ground of the cave, moonlight spilling over its silhouette. Dick dared to peek out.

His first thought was that an angel was coming to save him.

The figure had large wings that spread out on either side of it, blocking out most of the moonlight from the cave opening. But then he noticed the clawed feet, giant talons of a bird.

Dick's heart nearly stopped. Only one creature of the seas had wings, talons for feet, a humanoid shape, and fed on humans. A siren.

The siren swept its wings behind it, gracefully and strode forward. Dick cowered closer towards the wall.

A cold, wet hand slipped under his chin and jerked his face up towards his captor. Dick's eyes were squeezed closed tightly, and he was completely tense.

"Open your eyes, little human," the siren sang quietly, in a taunting, melodious voice.

Dick felt his eyes opening against his will. He whimpered. The siren stroked a hand down his cheek and let go of his chin. It pulled away a little, and Dick could see it a little better.

The siren had dark hair that was wet and tossed out of its face. It had dark eyes, large and mischievous. The siren had sharp features, obviously male. His wings were folded behind his back, the tips trailing on the ground behind him. The feathers were not wet, unlike the rest of his body. His muscled torso had water clinging to it, going down long, powerful legs and ended with a pair of large claws of a predator.

"My, my," the siren said, a smile growing on his face. He had very sharp teeth. "It would be a shame," he sang quietly, the sound sending shivers down Dick's spine.

In a flash, the siren rushed forward and grabbed Dick's throat, pulling him to his feet and pinning him against the wall. The siren licked a long stripe up Dick's neck. He was shaking like a leaf, praying with all his might that the gods may send something to save him from his fate.

"Tell me, little human, what is your name?"

The haunting melody made Dick's vocal cords unfreeze and he stuttered out, "R-Richard. Dick Gr-Grayson."

"Well, Dick Grayson," the siren said. "You sure taste good." He made a big show of smelling Dick's skin, his cool breath washing over the place he had licked, making Dick shiver. "You probably taste even better inside," the siren whispered before biting down on a spot by Dick's collarbone.

Dick cried out, tensing up. But he was held back by the siren. The spot on his neck was throbbing painfully, and Dick could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest.

A couple seconds passed, before the panic could fully set in, and the siren pulled away, its sharp teeth red with blood. He smiled wickedly at Dick.

"You _do_ taste exceptionally good inside, Dick Grayson." The siren stepped back. "But not good enough."

Dick's breath caught. Could that mean that he would not be eaten? But the siren's smile only grew.

"You see, there's this little things that makes humans taste so much better. _Fear_. Lots and lots of it. When it sinks into the skin, and takes over the mind, mmm! Delicious," the siren sang. Dick unconsciously calmed down a little from the few melodious words.

"Oh, no, no, Dick Grayson. That won't do," the siren tsked. "You need to be afraid. So consumed by the fear."

Entranced by those words, Dick felt the adrenaline pulse through his veins once again. Fear squeezed his heart and his lungs, and he felt like he could not breath.

The siren laughed. "Oh, yes! That's perfect. Now, I shall leave you here to… soak up the flavor a little. I shall be back soon, sweetheart. Do wait for me."

The siren's wings spread wide, and with a flap, he was gone.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

" _I don't… I don't know."_

" _How can you not know?"_

* * *

Two days passed before the siren returned. Dick was starving, but it was the thirst that bothered him more.

He had not consumed anything since that night on the ship. And probably seawater. Lots and lots of seawater.

But the siren did eventually return.

This time, Dick stood, and tried to look a little more intimidating, but as soon as the siren landed, his knees felt weak. He clenched his fists to prevent it from shaking.

The siren walked forward towards him. In the midday light, though cloudy, Dick could see the siren much better.

He was very handsome, for a human, but the bird appendages were definitely not appealing. The wings were sleek and black, matching the siren's wet hair. He had dark blue eyes, like the ocean in the moonlight.

A smirk seemed to be permanently planted on his face.

In his hands, he had a wooden bowl, and inside the wooden bowl was some sort of dark red liquid, like wine.

"You must be thirsty," the siren said. "Are you thirsty, Dick?"

Against his will again, Dick nodded.

The siren stepped closer. "Would you like something to drink?"

Dick nodded reluctantly again.

"Here, drink this." The siren pushed the bowl towards Dick. Dick started reaching for the bowl with his shaking hands, but then… he stopped. He seemed to have control over his limbs again. He quickly redrew his limbs and looked up at the siren with what he hoped was a defiant look.

The siren frowned. "Are you not going to drink it?"

Dick shook his head, glad it was of his own will this time. His body protested, reminding him how dry his throat was, how much he wanted something in his stomach, be it liquid or solid.

The siren's lip pulled up, revealing the rows of sharp teeth. Dick cowered closer towards the wall.

"Fine," the siren sneered. He turned around the flew out of the cave, leaving nothing but a faint trace of sea salt in the air.

* * *

Dick pushed himself up from the ground, the movement making his head throb. He breathed in sharply, the air hurting his parched throat.

It had been three days and two nights since the siren had first visited. Dick had huddled in the farthest corner of the cave since his last visit. Then, he had to change positions because his entire body had started cramping up.

He has not eaten or drank anything in that long as well, and it was starting to show. The dim light from the cave entrance hurt his eyes, and every movement was torture. Every breath was a step closer to death, and Dick could barely hold himself up.

This is what the siren wants. For Dick to be so close to death, having been afraid for the past few days, and then coming in and finishing the job.

He let his eyes slide close again. He tries to keep his breathing shallower and slower, so he would not need to actually breathe much. A few pebbles dug into his weak palms, but Dick did not move.

The best he could hope for was for death to reach him before the siren returns.

But Dick's luck did not seem to be that good.

There was a loud flapping of wings and wind pushed Dick's hair out of his face. Dick did not even bother opening his eyes.

"How about now? Has your… condition driven any sense into you yet?" The cool voice asked in a minor key.

Dick did not answer. Even the melodious voice did not jolt him out of his nearly dead state.

"Do not be an idiot," the siren said, his voice closer now, and more firm than before. "Drink." The edge of the bowl was pressed against Dick's chapped lips. A few drops of the liquid touched the edges of his lips, and before he could recoil (not that he would have the energy to), he subconsciously tasted it.

The liquid was delicious. It tasted like an exotic wine, tangy with hints of sweetness and some aromatic tastes as well. Dick opened his eyes.

The siren was bent over him, holding the wooden bowl to his lips. Dick wanted so badly to drink it down. The few drops he had unconsciously consumed already made him feel better.

He met the siren's dark blue eyes. For a moment, they stared at each other. Then, Dick could not bear the calls of his body any longer. He sipped, the cool liquid washing down his parched throat like the first rainfall after a drought.

It was glorious.

"Slowly," the siren prompted, and Dick stopped drinking vivaciously. Instead, he spent more time savoring it.

When the bowl was finished, Dick felt much better. He felt amazing, in fact. He stood up, and the siren backed away.

"Wh-What was that?" Dick had the audacity to ask. "What did you feed me?"

The siren sneered. "Just be glad you're still alive."

"So you can eat me?" Dick asked. "What am I thinking? Of course you are, you monster."

The siren growled, the sound low and threatening. "Monster?" He bared his teeth, and Dick shrank back. Suddenly, the siren stopped and seemed to compose himself. "My name is Jason, if you insist on calling me anything."

Dick did not answer, still riding on a few waves of fear.

The siren looked at him for a moment longer, then he scoffed and with a heavy flap of his majestic wings, he shot through the cave entrance, and was gone.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

" _It's all very hazy."_

" _Okay, so what do you remember about this strange dream of yours?"_

* * *

Dick was determined not to die. He was not going to die until he gets out of here. He was too young to die. It was be horribly embarrassing to die like this. The siren, _oh,_ sorry, _Jason_ , is not better than him. No, the siren was not even human. He was part creature, and creatures were definitely lesser beings.

Dick continued thinking angrily as he sharpened a large, weather worn bone with a slab of rock he had found. The point was getting sharper and sharper, possibly finally sharp enough to pierce through flesh.

After a few more minutes of hard work, Dick pressed the flesh of his fingertip to the point, and grinned in satisfaction as a drop of blood appeared. Now, all he has to do is to wait for Jason to return.

Hopefully, Jason would not wait another three days, when Dick was once again nearly dead and vulnerable to return.

Dick carefully tucked the bone into his dirty and stiff pants, careful to avoid the sharp point. But luck was one Dick's side this time. Jason returned within a day.

He was carrying a bowl of red liquid again.

When he landed, Dick pretended not to acknowledge him.

"Hey, I brought you something to drink," Jason said, a bit gruffly. Dick scoffed internally. But outside, he pretended not to hear.

There was a long silence. Dick heard Jason walking towards him, and he stiffened. Jason knelt down beside him. Dick slipped his hand under his ripped shirt and gripped one end of the sharp bone tightly. Jason set a hand on his shoulder, and Dick reacted.

He swung his bone up, nicking him own hip as he did so, but Dick did not notice. He went straight for Jason's heart, but Jason seemed to have quite quick reflexes. He moved out of the way and the bone struck deep into his arm instead. He let out a pained gasp, and Dick wrenched the bone out before scrambling to his feet.

He backed away from Jason, baring his teeth, his heart pounding hard.

Jason also jumped to his feet, blood leaking profusely from his arm. He lurched forward, his eyes glinted dangerously. He leapt at Dick, snarling and baring his sharp teeth. Dick moved out of the way and hurdled onto Jason's back, bringing them both down.

Jason easily flipped them over, crushing Dick beneath him. Dick spat out a mouthful of feathers and his hands closed around a wing and he pulled as hard as he could. There was a sharp and sickening _snap_.

Jason howled, his nails digging into Dick's arm, drawing blood. Jason crawled off of Dick and turned, glaring at him murderously. He was missing chunks of feathers here and there. One of the wings, was matted with blood and the other was hanging at an unnatural angle. It looked very painful.

Dick was scared now. He felt that he had just made a grave mistake. During their squabble, Dick's bone knife had snapped, and now he was trapped in the cave with a livid siren.

It was evident that Jason could still easily beat Dick up. And with a broken wing and no means of escape for a while, if Jason got hungry… Dick would not have a happy ending.

Jason seemed to realize the same thing. He smiled, his teeth dyed red with blood. He looked absolutely animalistic.

"Oh, Dickie… that was a mistake, wasn't it?"

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

" _Well, for one, you were there."_

" _Was I now?"_

* * *

Dick quickly backed up, away from Jason, stumbling as he went. The growing jeer on Jason's face terrified him to his core. His back hit the cold, unforgiving wall of the cave.

Jason advanced, slowly, each leaden step feeding the fear that was growing inside him like a horrible parasite, slowly but surely rearing its ugly head.

"Now, now, Dickiebird," Jason said in a singsong voice. "Why so afraid all of a sudden? Where's that newfound bravery you possessed only a few moments ago? Hm? Did it flit, float, and fly away?" Jason's bleeding wing twitched, and drops of blood were flicked onto the ground. Still, he advanced.

Dick shrank down onto the ground, trembling violently.

Slowly, Jason knelt down onto one knee, his wings brushing the ground, and more blood spurt from the wounded one. The broken wing barely twitched. The warm, red liquid landed on Dick's bare arm, and he shivered, but he was shaking so hard it did not matter.

"I'll make you a proposition," Jason said with a soft, whispering voice. "I won't eat you."

Dick looked up in surprise, his shaking never ceasing.

"But, you must drink." Jason pointed to the bowl of red liquid, set on the ground before their fight.

Dick felt like all the air had been vacuumed out of his lungs. Why the hell was it so important to Jason that he drank the liquid? It did not seem to be poison, as he had already consumed some, so possibly a drug? It did make Dick feel a lot better after drinking it.

And just thinking about it, Dick felt his dry mouth watering. Whatever it was, it was rather good, after all.

But he could not give Jason that satisfaction. He opened his mouth to speak, and forced his vocal cords to unfreeze. "N-No."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "No? Do you wish to die?"

A less confident answer, "N-N-No?"

Jason's expression hardened. "You have no choice other, Dickie," he said, adding a hateful accent to Dick's name. "Drink or die."

Dick thrust his chin out in defiance, a momentary spark of courage shining through his fear. "Then I chose death."

Jason growled, the steady bass sound starting from deep down in his throat before rising, growing, mutating until it sounded like a roar from the monster he is.

"Maybe I will," Jason said, his voice still low and raspy. His teeth looked a lot sharper up close, and the little flicker of bravery Dick possessed was immediately was smite by the emergent monster.

Jason moved quickly, his movements fluid and sudden. His now clawed hands pinned Dick's shoulders tightly against the wall of the cave. His sharp fingernail traced up Dick's jugular as Jason cocked his head to the side, his dark eyes calculating and alight with fury.

"Last chance," he sang in the growly voice.

Dick was too much of a blubbering crying mess now to answer at all. Jason tightened his hand around Dick's neck, his nails pressing into the pale, cold skin. Dick swallowed hard, his Adam's apple pressing uncomfortably hard against Jason's hand.

With his other clawed hand, Jason grabbed Dick's hair and pulled it back, holding Dick's head against the cave, revealing his neck. Jason made a show of licking his lips and running his tongue across his pearly and sharp teeth, beautiful but ugly at the same time.

Jason lowered his mouth to Dick's neck, teasingly running his fangs along the contours of his neck. Then, he bit down and fresh blood rushed into his mouth.

Dick cried out, tensing, which only allowed more blood to flow into Jason's waiting mouth. But Jason pulled away a moment later, his lips and teeth stained a bright ruby red and he grinned at Dick's horrified expression.

"Absolutely scrumptious," Jason said. His voice had returned to the pleasant tenor with a hint of the melodious harmony. "Maybe I should keep you alive just a little bit longer. I could feed you bits of your own flesh, make you drink your own blood, and I can keep playing this game of mine until you run out of flesh, or I decide to eat you after all." Jason leaned in close again. "How does that sound, Dickie?"

Before Dick answered (not that he could, he was still trying to get over the shock that had set in), Jason swooped in and latched back onto Dick's neck, gulping a couple times before pulling and immediately pulling Dick into a deep kiss.

Dick could taste his own blood on Jason's lips and in his mouth. Drops of it ran down his own throat and he gagged on reflex. His cold, trembling arms tried with no avail to push Jason away, but the siren was much stronger than him.

Dick started feeling weak and hopeless as he realized that he would never win against Jason. Jason was a monster, and Dick was at his mercy.

Jason continued kissing Dick, forcing his tongue into Dick's mouth, making him taste the life-giving liquid from his own body. When he was sure that Dick had had his share, Jason pulled away, licking his own lips before smirking at Dick.

Dick gagged and tried to throw up, but he just heaved and coughed.

"Are you satisfied yet, Dickie?" Jason mocked. "Or would you like seconds?"

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

" _Yeah, you were. But… you weren't you."_

" _Huh. What's that supposed to mean?"_

* * *

For the longest time, Jason does not let go of Dick. Even after Dick practically projectile vomited on him, Jason kept him cowering and pinned against the wall. When Dick finished gagging and throwing up, Jason still did not let up. He stared intently at Dick.

Dick looked up after a moment, breathing hard, but his shaking never ceasing. They stared at each other for a long, long time.

Dick looked away first.

He spoke in a small voice. "What do you want?"

Jason hummed humorlessly, but his voice still retained the musical tones. He did not answer however.

"Why d-don't you just kill me n-now? D-Do you enjoy t-toying with me th-that much? B-Because I'm tired of it!" Dick said.

Jason grinned evilly, showing his sharp teeth, still stained with a bit of blood. However, he did not answer. He just kept staring into Dick's eyes.

Dick was unnerved, very unnerved. He tried looking away. He tried very hard, but he could not look away. Jason eyes entrapped him, ensnared him, entangled him so tightly, he could not even struggle. So Dick just stared into the dark blue orbs, soulless yet deep and so full.

Jason reached up and slowly stroked the side of Dick's face again, softer this time. His fingers were no longer clawed. But his smile was still as sharp and unnerving as before.

Dick closed his eyes, squeezing them shut until Jason's hand left his face. Dick heard footsteps walking away slowly. Even so, Dick did not open his eyes. The footsteps moved around the cave for a while, going from the sand to the rock.

Then, the hand was back on his cheek.

"Open your eyes, Dickie," Jason sang.

Dick's eyes opened slowly, unable to resist Jason's song. He found himself staring back into those eyes.

A wooden bowl was pressed gently against his dry lips, which were coated in vomit, spit, and blood.

"Drink," Jason said soothingly. "You'll feel better afterwards, I promise."

Slowly, Dick parted his trembling lips and some of the red juice poured through his lips. He drank and drank and drank. He could not stop. It tasted so good, like heaven in liquid form.

The bowl was finished too soon.

Dick unconsciously licked his lips, trying to taste as much of the sweet nectar as he could. Jason was right. He did feel much better. He also seemed to calm down a lot more. He was no longer shaking from fear, just light shivering from the cold.

"What do you want with me?" He asked finally.

Jason sat down across from him, setting the wooden bowl aside. He crossed his legs, which Dick noticed were not bird legs anymore. They were legs, like any other human has legs. In fact, aside from the wings (and lack of clothes), Jason looked human. Jason sat there and stared at Dick for a moment, with a slight smile on his face before clasping his hands together and placing them in his lap.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I might as well tell you," Jason said. "You see, every fifty years, there's this huge… festival of sorts. For all the creatures of the sea and the air. So, there are sirens, harpies, mermaids, selkies, I have heard that Charybdis stopped by a few festivals ago. And Jörmungandr – you might not know him – was believed to have been at the first…? maybe it was the second one ever. Those were very memorable times. Alas, I was not yet born, so I just listen to the older sirens gloat about it and whatnot. Anyhow, this is my first festival, so I'm expected to put on… a little show, if you will." Jason stretched, his muscles twisting and moving under the taut skin, alit by the moonlight. "And you, Dickiebird, will be my guest of honor."

"Guest of honor…?" Dick asked, oddly calm. His heart seemed to be physically incapable of beating any faster than a steady _andante_.

"Mhm, the very star of the show, you will be," Jason said, saying smugly. He was obviously proud of himself. "You'll be amazing, beautiful, absolutely splendid. The whole world of the sea will see just how amazing, flexible, delicate, breakable and _weak_ humans are!" Jason crowed. His eyes were bright with excitement, his mouth stretched out uncomfortably wide. Jason noticed Dick's discomfort, despite the artificially induced calm. "Oh don't worry. It's not just a savage and brainless festival of monsters, Dickie, it's a festival of art! Where there are performers, and shows, and displays that are strung up for all to see!"

Jason turned to Dick, who's heart was beating hard and harder, despite the liquid he was fed. Jason's smile was unrestrained. "I will be the artist. And you, Dickie, will be my greatest masterpiece."

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

" _I think you were human…"_

" _You think, what's that supposed to mean?"_

* * *

For couple days, Jason alternates between teasing and scaring Dick. The minute Dick's adrenaline levels mellowed out, Jason would do something that would turn him into a quivering and trembling mess. And then Jason would cackle and leave Dick alone to deal with the repercussions alone. Then, when Dick finally managed to calm himself down, Jason would scare him back into hyperventilation for another hour or so.

Since Jason did not exactly need to sleep, he tormented Dick all day and all night. And Dick was tired. He had cried all the tears he could cry, and his throat was parched and hurt from screaming. His nails had been filed down by the rock wall, bleeding and skin ripped around his cuticles.

In spite of his unsteady mental states, Dick noticed that Jason heals very quickly. While the feathers of his wings were caked with dry blood, he flexed them a lot more now. They were not hanging at weird angles, and they fluttered excitedly when Jason was happy.

As he relaxed from his most recent scare, Dick swallowed hard, his dry throat rubbing against itself, and it hurt.

Jason was preening himself on the opposite side of the cave. Dick closed his eyes, sighing shallowly, letting his head fall against the hard rock.

He did not know how long had passed before footsteps walked from sand to rock, towards him.

There was a gentle brush of wind as Jason knelt down next to him, his hand stroking down Dick's arm. Dick did not even flinch, nor did he open his eyes.

"Just…" Dick's voice was raspy and dry. "Just let me sleep. Please… just a couple hours." Dick trailed off softly. He coughed weakly and opened his eyes. He met Jason's dark blue ones without fear, too tired at this point. "I don't care what you do afterwards. Just let me… sleep."

Jason's eyes widened a tiny bit. His eyebrows twitched and his wings fluttered behind him. Dick closed his eyes again. Jason's hand dropped from his arm.

"You are the prisoner here, Dickie," Jason said after a long moment of silence. "You cannot negotiate with me."

Dick's eyes stayed closed and he drifted off into a deep, deep sleep. Jason could kill him for all he cared.

* * *

When Dick's eyes opened slowly, he could tell that quite a bit of time had passed. The grey sunlight was streaming through the cave opening on the ceiling, or more of the side.

It seemed like the whole world had fallen on its side during Dick's nap. Blinking the last of the sleep from his eyes rapidly, Dick's other senses started sharpening. Something heavy was lying on him, and there was this sad, soft music as well as fingers threading through his hair.

Dick stiffened when he finally realized what was happening.

There was a thick, woolen blanket of sorts thrown over his body, which had been moved onto the sandy half of the cave, and his head was resting in someone's lap. More specifically, it had to have been the siren's lap. And it was his fingers gently threading through his dirty hair and humming that song.

Strangely, the song did not strike any kind of feeling into Dick or force any emotions onto him. It just made him feel a slight sense of melancholy.

The song stopped, and so did the gentle toying of his hair.

"How'd you sleep?"

Dick did not answer. He slowly pushed himself up. Jason did not stop him, his hand falling from off of Dick's head. The thick blanket pooled around Dick's body as he sat next to Jason, staring at him intensely. Jason did not look back, staring at the opposite wall instead.

There was a long moment where neither of them did anything. Then, Jason reached beside him and held out a wooden bowl.

Dick looked at him for a moment before accepting the bowl, downing the liquid, gulping it all down without a thought. He set the bowl down when he was done, wiping his mouth.

He felt so much better again. He felt well-rested and alive again.

"What is that?" Dick asked, mostly expecting some sarcastic answer or even no answer at all.

Jason still did not look at him. He just smiled humorlessly. "Oh, you know. Dragon blood and mead wine."

Dick's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Jason harder. Something was off. Never has Jason given up a chance to taunt or scare Dick. Dick had nearly frozen to death that first night, but even then, Jason did not provide him with a blanket or bothered making sure Dick was comfortable.

So what has changed?

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

" _Again, it was all very hazy."_

" _Trust me, I can tell. You're making no sense."_

* * *

Throughout the day, Jason came and went a couple times. Never once does he talk to Dick, nor does Dick bother talking to him either. But Dick does watch.

Each time Jason flew out, he seemed to look rather bothered and in a hurry. When he returned, however, he seemed no less bothered and hurried. This, in turn, oddly bothered Dick, who was still on the shady, sandy side of the cave, wrapped up in the thick blanket.

The third time Jason flew out, he did not return for about an hour. Dick was nearly asleep again by the time Jason landed quietly. In his hands, there was a bowl of the red liquid. He looked over at Dick for a moment, the first time Jason had bothered looking at Dick since Dick had fallen asleep a day ago.

Dick was a little bit surprised by the sudden acknowledgement.

He straightened a little, shifting under the blanket. He blinked and stared at Jason, waiting for him to make a move. Jason quickly looked away. He glared at his hands and the bowl for a moment before setting it down and immediately flying out of the cave.

He came back after night fell. Dick was still awake. During the long hours Jason had been gone, he had taken a short nap, but did not touch the red liquid. He was still running on the previous bowl and refused to take any more than he needed to live.

Jason had another bowl of the red liquid. He stared at the untouched bowl, right where he had left it. His head snapped to Dick, seeing perfectly in the darkness. Dick could only make out Jason's outline from the partial moonlight.

"Why did you not drink?" Jason asked. His question was sharp and accusing.

Dick frowned. "I do not need to," he said simply.

"You should."

"And why should I? I do not know what it is," Dick said.

Jason sighed heavily. He also put down his own bowl. "Okay, fine. It's a herbal juice. Made from elderberries and black currents with spices and some sugar. There's a village a couple miles north from here, in the mountains, and this juice is a specialty. They feed it to their sick, nothing but this until they get better, so trust me, you can survive on this."

Dick arched an eyebrow. He did not say anything. Jason stared at him for a little while longer. Then he left again.

Jason did not return until the next morning. During his leave, Dick had gone over to the bowls, and inspected them closely.

He dipped a finger in the liquid and examined it in the dim moonlight.

The liquid was definitely thicker than water, but not as thick as a stew. Like tomato soup almost. It was bright red in color, and when Dick lifted his finger to his lips and licked off the drop, it certainly did have hints of fruit and spice. Some cinnamon, some tart and sweet of berries.

Maybe Jason had been telling the truth.

Dick sat in front of the two bowls for a long time, just staring at it while his hunger argued with his moral thoughts.

Finally, he lifted a bowl, bringing the wood to his lips. He drank slowly. Much more slowly than the first few times he had consumed the red drink. It ran down his throat smoothly, and it filled him with a strong sense of satisfaction. It also refreshed him like a cup of rich wine.

In no time, he moved on to the second bowl. He drank even slower than before, savoring it. He held each sip in his mouth for a while, letting the liquid flow over every inch of his mouth before swallowing with contentment.

When he finished his second bowl, Dick set the bowls back under the opening of the cave and went back to his sandy nook of the cave, curled up in the thick blanket and fell asleep.

Apparently, while Dick had been asleep, Jason had come and gone. Another bowl of the berry juice was on the ground and the two empty bowls were gone. As Dick approached, his stomach rumbling just looking at the juice (the juice was still mostly water and water does not keep one full), he noticed something else.

There were two feathers on the ground. They were light grey in color, streaked with bits of black. Dick frowned and twirled one of the large feathers between his fingers. He tapped it against his chin, surprised to find it soft like down.

He bent down and picked up the other one as well, stroking them gently against the palm of his left hand for a moment before tucking them into the only not ripped pocket of his pants.

Then he drank his breakfast and went back to his blanket to think about Jason's odd behavior.

Jason returned maybe a couple hours after Dick had woken up. He had another bowl of juice with him. Jason looked a bit surprised to see Dick awake.

"Why are you bringing me so much juice?" Dick asked. "Weren't you trying to kill me before?"

Jason turned towards him, but not all the way, and he did not look at Dick directly. "Would you preferred that I had?" he growled, his voice low and dark.

Dick's eyes narrowed and he did not answer. Jason did not wait to hear an answer either. He set the bowl down, did not bother collecting the empty one and flew away with one majestic flap of his large wings.

Dick's frown deepened when he saw three feathers dislodge themselves and float down onto the ground. He walked towards the feathers, picking them up one by one. They were all about the same size, a little larger than Dick's hand, similar in color as well. Dick had five feathers now, but he had no idea why he suddenly had so many.

He only drank half of the bowl this time, not particularly hungry. When Jason returned, Dick was waiting for him.

He was standing just outside the circle of light the cave entrance allowed. When Jason landed and set his bowl of juice down, Dick cleared his throat.

Jason turned around quickly, his wings tensing. Dick's eyebrows furrowed when another feather fell.

"What's wrong with you?" Dick asked.

Jason glared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You're shedding feathers like a sheep in the shearing pen. Why?"

A growl rose form Jason's throat. "It is none of your business."

"Are you sick? Did your wings not heal properly?" Dick asked. He took a step into the light.

Jason stepped back, knocking over the bowl. "Don't pretend you care," Jason snarled. "Go back to hiding in your little corner."

"The cave is a circle. There is no corner," Dick said dryly, still stepping forward again. He avoided the puddle of juice.

"What do you want?" Jason bit out harshly.

Dick nearly laughed hysterically because that was the question he had been asking Jason for a while now. How the tables have turned.

"I'm just curious."

As he stepped forward again, Jason reacted. He pushed Dick back, hard. Dick stumbled backwards, caught unaware and tripped into the sand without balance. He fell, his arm striking out to catch himself on the cave wall, but he miscalculated the distance. His arm scraped down the side of the cave, and he cried out as sharp rocks cut into his flesh.

Dick cursed and pulled his arm in for inspection as he landed on his ass. He frowned at the three long scratches down his forearm. Beads of blood were already welling up.

He started to stand up, but before he could even brush off his pants, Dick found himself shoved up against the wall, his back crashing against the hard stone.

Dick looked into the feral eyes of Jason, which were dilated and dark. His teeth looked sharper than usual. Jason snarled in Dick's face before biting down on Dick's neck, his fangs sinking deep into Dick's neck.

Dick cried out, his hands trying to push Jason away to no avail. Jason just kept drinking. He did not stop. Dick's head started pounding and his arms and legs were getting weak.

Finally, Jason pulled away, letting go of Dick. Dick crashed into the ground immediately, panting hard and pressing a hand against his neck, which was still bleeding weakly.

Jason's entire lower half of his face was covered in red. He looked crazy. Dick noticed that his hands were clawed and his feet were talons as well.

Jason stumbled back a few feet, his eyes wide and staring at Dick. He was also breathing hard.

Then, with a strong flap of his wings, Jason was gone.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

" _I mean, I recall the most beautiful songs… And you made them."_

" _Well, that could've been me singing in the shower this morning."_

* * *

Dick has stopped bleeding by the time Jason returned. The blood had dried, but it was at the sticky stage, not yet crusty and completely dry. So it was somewhere between half an hour to an hour.

However, Dick was feeling quite dizzy and he had not moved from his spot.

When Jason came back, he had cleaned up, and he was carrying a new bowl of juice. He walked towards Dick, who stiffened ever so slightly.

Jason knelt down slowly, his eyes looking apologetic. He held out the bowl to Dick, who looked at him a moment before taking the bowl with shaking hands and leaving sticky blood fingerprints on the edges of the bowl.

Dick drank, slowly but with large gulps. He did not stop to take a breath until the entire bowl was empty. He licked his lips slowly and set the bowl aside, never taking his eyes off Jason, as if the siren would attack him if he did not keep his eyes on him.

Jason takes the bowl from him and stands up to go. Dick musters up the courage.

"What was that all about it?"

Jason froze, standing there, his back to Dick. His wings were folded behind him, and Dick took in the rows of light grey feathers with the occasional thin streaks of black.

"I think I deserve an answer," Dick said. "You're the one that attacked me after all."

Jason turns around, his eyes blazing. "You're _my_ prisoner! Did you forget that?!" He yelled. "You have no right to demand anything of me!"

With that, Jason flew out of the cave, leaving Dick alone again.

Sighing heavily, but feeling much better, Dick stood, taking a moment before deciding to take a nap to avoid thinking about it.

He curled up with the blanket, his head pillowed on the sand and closed his eyes. It was difficult, but he soon drifted off.

When he woke up again, night had fallen, and he was immediately aware of someone sitting next to him, near his head.

"What are you doing back here?" Dick asked.

Jason did not answer for a moment. There was a heavy sigh, so Dick sat up, shaking the sand out of his hair before glancing at Jason. Dick looked at the siren unwavering, and Jason looked at the far wall.

"I came from a big family," Jason said quietly. "Five siblings, I'm the second youngest. I have a younger sister, she's amazing, she is. We used to … we used to sit up all night, on some coast and stare at the moon and its reflection on the ocean surface. She was always curious, always asking questions. And she had the most beautiful hair. It was like gossamer – long, thin, and beautiful. She had a habit of falling asleep in all the wrong places, and she would use my lap as a pillow and I would stroke her hair, braiding things into it." He cut himself off. "But that was a long time ago."

Jason did not say anymore, so Dick decided to prompt him a little. It was the first time Jason had opened up at all. "Where is she now?"

"Dead," came the flat answer. "Killed. By her own kind."

"Sirens."

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dick said. However, it still did not explain anything. Thankfully, Jason kept talking.

"Around my age, usually a bit younger, a siren must find another siren to mate with." Jason let that sink in for a moment before continuing. His voice sounded a bit different this time, tighter. "But from a young age, I… I _hated_ ," he let out a frustrated breath. Dick saw his hands curling into a fist and his nails starting to lengthen. "I hated the taste of human flesh and blood. It was absolutely foul and disgusting," Jason said, his voice getting lower and lower, growling and grinding the words out.

"Hey," Dick boldly put his hand on Jason's shaking fists. Jason looked at him in surprise, the anger and disgust in his eyes fading quickly. "You don't… you don't have to tell me."

Jason frowned. "I thought you wanted to know."

Dick shrugged. "I'd rather you not tell me than end up a bloody pulp on the cave wall."

Jason's frown deepened. "Did you not just hear what I said? I can't stand-"

"Oh, no," Dick interrupted. "I heard you perfectly fine. You don't like human flesh, fine. But that doesn't mean you won't possibly attack me."

Jason gritted his teeth but said nothing. He looked away, pulling his hand out from under Dick's and flexed it a few times. The claws slowly shrank back and left him with shaking human hands again. Jason relaxed slowly.

"Okay," he said quietly. "So I hated the taste of blood and of flesh. But I could not survive without it. My kind cannot live without flesh and blood, specifically humans. I was disgusted by myself, and I believed for a long time that if I just _tried,_ I could, I don't know, trick myself into surviving without it."

Jason shook his head slowly. His fingers twitched and they were tense. Dick could tell. Despite the risks, Dick found himself taking Jason's hand. They were cool, but not cold.

Jason's voice shook more now. "I nearly died a few times like that. So after that, I only took the bare minimum, enough to survive, and I never killed anyone, unlike the rest of my clan. My… My younger sister also took after me. She looked up to me for everything and she idolized me. So everything I did, she did. And during those times where I refused to eat, she did as well. She would not eat unless I ate first, and I nearly killed her because of my stupidity. But I did not kill her in the end. In my world, the female sirens have a younger mating age. So her age came before mine did. And she refused to go with him. And… and so she was ripped apart and eaten by her family. And that is the fate that is awaiting me right now, unless I find a mate by the winter solstice."

Jason was quiet for a long time after that.

"You loved your sister?" Dick asked quietly. He had never had any siblings, so he would not know.

"Yes. She was my world. I would have died for her. But she was just as stubborn as I was."

Dick was actually quite comfortable talking to Jason like this. It was raw, deep and personal. It felt human. He shifted, back into a horizontal position and gently placed his head in Jason's lap.

Almost immediately, Jason's hand came up unconsciously and wound itself in Dick's hair. In the dark, Jason's bright eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up.

"So why can't you just find some siren before the solstice?" Dick asked instead.

Jason scoffed. His fingers were gentle in Dick's hair, and it felt nice. "No siren wants to be mates with a siren like me. I'm an outsider, a weakling." He paused and took a deep breath before talking. "But, with the help of a friend of mine," Jason said slowly. "I found a spell.

"The spell, theoretically, will turn a human into a siren."

Dread welled up in Dick's stomach. Slowly, he asked, "And how does this spell work?"

Jason's fingers stilled. "It- It requires a human to drink the blood of a siren, willingly given and willingly consumed. Three times to bring said human back from the brink of death, five times to start the transformation, then continuously throughout the transformation to complete it."

Dick was silent for a longer moment. Then, coldly, "It's me, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Who's blood is it? I thought you didn't kill?"

"Mine. All of it. I heal fast, but… but it's still slower than the other sirens since I don't feed more often than required," Jason said, his voice soft and meek now.

Dick did not answer him. Then, with the same cold tone, he asked, "So everything was a lie? The berry juice, the sacrificial festival, the death threats."

"Yes, mostly. There is a festival every fifty years, but I was born after the last festival, so it will be another thirty two years before it comes around again, and I may never go to one, seeing I might not live past the winter solstice," he said quietly.

Dick sat up. Jason let his hand drop, his eyes lowered and looking away. Dick did not wrap himself up in the blanket, but he hugged his knees to his chest and glared into the same darkness Jason stared into with despair.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

" _You don't take showers. And you certainly don't sing around the children."_

" _How would you know? The children love my singing!"_

* * *

"Are you upset?" Jason asked for the umpteenth time.

Dick had not answered previously, but this time, he did. "Of course I'm upset!"

Jason shrank back a little. "Because I gave you blood to drink?"

"Ye- N- Yes!" Dick shouted. He stood up. "Not just that! You turned me into a monster without my permission! Hell, even if you had asked, I still would not have said yes! Now, I can't live a normal life, I can't do all the things I wanted to do, and it's all your fault! I'd rather you have killed me than- than turned me into a creature like you!"

Jason frowned. "I'm sorry, Dick. I was desperate, and I-"

"Don't," Dick hissed, cutting him off. "Don't try to explain yourself. It's pathetic, is what it is. You know, it would have been more honorable to just die than to resort to striping some person's life from them! In fact, there are so many things you could have done! You could have left your family, you could have fought back on that, you could have joined your sister, even!" Dick knew those were some harsh words, but he was angrier than he had ever been.

Jason looked unhappy now as well, but Dick was too furious to care.

Dick snarled. "You can go ahead and fuck right on off! And make sure you leave me here to die!"

Surprisingly, Jason stood. Without looking at Dick, Jason walks past him and towards the exit, the tips of his wings dragging along the floor. He paused under the opening.

"You'll die without me here," Jason said, strangely calmly. "Are you sure you want to die? You've been fighting so hard to live." His voice was cool, but not completely monotonous.

Dick did not answer. Deep down, he did not wish to die. His words were mainly angry statement to rile Jason up, but the latter did not seem to succumb to the taunts. He just huffed.

Jason spread his wings. They nearly touched each opposite faces of the cave. "I thought so," he said quietly.

Then, he rocketed off into the sky, just as the sun started rising up above the horizon.

* * *

Dick had been pacing the length of the cave for a couple days now. Each time he passed under the opening of the cave, he looked up, hoping there was no sign of a large, bird-like silhouette.

There was never anything.

But during those days, Dick had noticed changes to his own body. He was no longer feeling the usual gnawing hunger and the roaring thirst he normally felt after being left all alone for a long time. In fact, he felt fine. And while he had taken a quick nap the day before, he did not feel particularly tired. His skin also seemed a lot smoother, no longer the calloused and rough palms of a sailor. He had also grown pale, possibly from the lack of sunlight or it was the spell.

Thankfully, claws, talons, and wings had yet to form.

Unfortunately, Dick's luck did not last long. Dick was throwing small pebbles across the cave when Jason returned.

Dick straightened, standing up and crossing his arms in front of him, making sure to look angry.

"Why are you back here?" Dick demanded. "Did I not tell you to fuck off?"

Jason turned around. He was carrying a damned wooden bowl in his hands, filled to the brim with red. Siren blood.

Dick's anger began growing as he saw the liquid. "Do you really think I'm still going to drink it?"

Jason set it down. Calmly, he said, "It's not a matter of whether or not you want to. It's a matter of survival." With that, he flew out of the cave.

As soon as he was gone, Dick went over to where the bowl was and kicked it. The blood spilled out of the bowl as the wooden object went flying across the cave, shattering on impact. Dick was a little stunned. He had a bit of muscle, since he had been a sailor, but there was no way he could have done that.

A few drops of the blood had splashed onto his arm, and Dick had to fight off the urge to lick it up. Instead, he wiped it on his ripped pants furiously before going back to his new corner, one without the blanket, which had also been tossed to the opposite side of the cave.

Another day passed. Jason returned, and he had two bowls with him this time. He landed delicately and he surveyed the scene. He noticed the dried blood on the ground as well as the wooden shards of the bowl. His mouth thinned into a grimace.

He did not say anything, however, and set the two bowls down before taking his leave again.

Dick had been pretending to be asleep when Jason visited, but he was watching the siren closed through lidded eyes. Dick waited another few moments before going over to the bowl, with every intent to kick them over again, when he spotted something, half-hidden in the sand. He picked it up.

A feather.

Dick's eyes narrowed, eyebrows drawing together.

* * *

The next time Jason visited, he brought another two bowls of blood. Dick had not touched the first two, and he was certainly feeling the effects of hunger now. It was a constant and painful reminder that he needed to escape, and his throat's dryness did not help either. He was still mostly human, despite his new changes.

Jason looked very tired this time around. He had dark circles under his eyes, branded deep into his pale face. His hands shook the slightest bit, and he stumbled when he landed. He set the bowls down, still did not look at Dick but he did pause to take a breath before taking off again.

Dick picked up four feathers.

* * *

By the twelfth bowl, another three and a half days later, Dick was actively watching Jason now. He had been since the seventh bowl of blood. They were still all exactly where Jason had left them, none of them touched, except for when Dick had to pluck a feather from one of them.

Dick also had enough feathers to stuff a pillow. Thirty four, plus the five he had collected previously. And Jason did not look at all well.

His luscious black hair was limp and oily, and there was also a feather stuck in it. His wings had patches missing, as well as feathers that were twisted out of place. He obviously had not been taking care of himself. This made Dick a little worried, despite the fact that he did not want to.

The siren was not his friend. Jason had no right to worry Dick with his health, nor did Dick like to think that he cared.

Dick himself was also not doing well. He could barely walk, slowly dragging himself from place to place, or just staying in the same spot, as he had the past day and a half. His breathing was ragged and shallow, yet still he fought the temptation to drink.

When Jason brought the twelfth bowl of blood, he had set it down, spilling nearly half of it. When he stood back up, he seemed to have been hit by a wave of dizziness and stumbled backwards, his back hitting the rock wall. He had to lean on the wall for a moment before slowly pushing himself off and under the entrance of the cave.

Dick watched, his eyes barely even open anymore.

It took Jason three times to fly out, and even then, he tripped over the lip of the entrance and into the world outside and out of view.

Dick heard muffled, "Oomph!" and then silence.

Almost immediately, Dick's face scrunched together in concern. And that worried him a bit.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

" _Right… anyway, there were these haunting melodies… I don't think they were sung though. Maybe an instrument of some kind? Like a flute."_

" _Well, I don't know how to play any instruments. I can barely work the fireplace."_

* * *

When Jason returned, not much time had passed, maybe a couple of hours. And it was not at all graceful. He tripped and fell, his wings banging against the edges of the cave, and plumes of feathers falling off, surrounding him in a halo of grey. He fell onto his knees with a groan.

He put the bowl down. Dick could tell that the bowl was not even close to full. It was barely filled to halfway.

Jason tried to stand, stumbling and falling a couple times, kicking sand up into the air. He leaned against the wall of the cave and extended his wings. They shook with the effort, and Jason's jaw was clenched with the effort. His skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Dick decided that enough was enough. He pushed himself up, away from the wall.

"Stop," he said. His voice did not reach very far. He cleared his throat and winced through the pain. He swallowed dryly, no saliva to lubricate his sore throat. "Stop it," he said.

Jason heard him, though. Still supporting himself against the wall, he looked at Dick. It had been the first time they looked at each other since a week ago.

"Why're… why're you doing this… to yourself?" Dick asked.

Jason stared at him with incredulous eyes, like he could not believe Dick was alive, let alone speaking to him.

"I- I-" Jason's voice was also scratchy, but not as bad as Dick's, obviously. But then, his legs gave out, and he collapsed into the sand.

Dick summoned the strength to crawl over to Jason. His arms could barely support himself. He slumped against the wall next to the siren, whose eyes still have not left Dick's face.

Dick stared at Jason for a long time, and Jason stared right back. Dick had no idea what was running through Jason's mind at that time, but his own thoughts made his heart pound loudly in his chest.

Even in his sickly state, Jason looked otherworldly. His pale skin shone, not healthily, but it still looked good on him. He still looked beautiful. Though his eyes were dull, they were still brighter than any other eyes Dick has ever come across. It scared him that he thought like this. Jason was a _man_ , that is, disregarding the fact that he was not human, and the fact that he had forcefully changed Dick's entire physical nature.

He found himself cupping Jason's face unconsciously. Jason's eyes fluttered shut as Dick touched the cool and sticky skin.

"You're sick," Dick rasped, just above a whisper.

"So are you," Jason responded. His eyes did not open. He breathed in shakily. "I'm sorry."

Dick could not exactly say he forgave Jason, nor can he say that everything is okay. So he just opts to change the subject. "You haven't eaten."

Jason's gaze immediately flickered to Dick's neck before back to his face and then away. "No," he said quietly.

There was another long pause. They were not very good at keeping a steady conversation tempo. "You should," Dick said. "You… you could die."

Jason did not respond.

"Why?" Dick asked. "I'm offering."

Jason shook his head slowly. "I think… you were right. I should've just…" he shook his head gently, limp hair flopping back and forth. "Sorry…"

Dick growled. The rumbling hurt his throat. "You are _not_ going to die now! I can't get out of here, otherwise."

Jason's eyes closed and the edge of his mouth curled up a little. He slipped further down the rock wall. One of his wings were crushed under his body now. It did not look comfortable.

"I gave you everything you need to get out of here," Jason whispered. "It's all you now."

"Fucking idiot," Dick said, pushing Jason's face away. "I'm not drinking that." Jason did not respond to that. He lay still in the sand. "Did you hear me? I'm not drinking it!" Still, Jason remained unresponsive. "At least, not until you do."

Jason's eyes flashed open. "What?"

"You drink, and I'll drink."

"You're insane."

"It's your choice. It's either we're both getting out of this alive, or we're going to die here, whether it be today or tomorrow."

Jason stared at him for a long, long time. "Fine," Jason whispered. "You first."

Dick held Jason's gaze for a moment before nodding. He reached over and grabbed the nearest bowl. There was a thin layer of dust on top of the liquid, but other than that, it was untouched. Dick did not care though. He brought the bowl to his cracked lips, and looked straight into Jason's eyes as he slowly tipped the bowl back.

It seemed that each time Dick drank, it tasted better and better than the last. It was not until he was halfway through the bowl when Dick realized that he was drinking Jason's blood. He choked for a moment, and coughed, but he plowed through and finished it. The effects were nearly immediate. He could physically feel the energy surging through his tired body.

Then, he arched his neck in Jason's direction, but the siren made no move towards him.

Instead, he said, "Another one first."

Dick glared at him. "You said-"

"Not until you've had enough."

Dick stood, still shaky, but at least he was not crawling anymore. He gathered all the bowls and placed them in a small semicircle around him. He brought a second bowl to his lips and held it there, letting the wood weigh down against his lower lip for a moment.

Then he drank. He finished the second one, and Jason gestured for him to drink a third. At this point, Dick thought that maybe Jason was tricking him and had no intentions of fulfilling his half of the deal.

But as Dick finished the third bowl, Jason sat up and hooked his arms around Dick's neck. He whispered, "Keep drinking," and then bit down between Dick's collarbone and neck.

Dick cried out softly and let Jason drink for a few moments before he picked up his fourth bowl.

And so they drank. It was gruesome and barbaric, but on some base level, beautiful.

When Dick finished his eighth bowl, Jason pulled away. He gently licked at the wound and it healed over. He pulled back, licking his lips, a lot less messy this time around. Dick set down his bowl as well and he looked over the siren.

He looked much better now.

The dark circles under his eyes were less prominent, his skin glowing more with grace than sickness. His hair seemed glossier, though still messy. His cheeks also had a rosier tint to it. Dick wondered if he was looking a lot better as well.

He smiled slightly at Jason. Jason stared at him a moment before shyly returning the gesture.

"Are you still angry?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Dick said. "Definitely still very angry. But I've had some time to think it over. There isn't much I can do about it though," he said, a bit gruffly. He took a deep breath. "And… you're not horribly hard on the eyes, so… maybe it won't be completely terrible?"

Dick bit his lip to hold back his smile as Jason's eyes lit up with hope.

"So- So you're- you're going to go along with this? Why?" Jason asked. He could not help it.

Dick shrugged. "I don't know, really. I think… I think it was you."

Confusion flashed across Jason's face.

"You may have a horrible temper and an evil sense of humor, but… deep down? You're sweet and caring. I could tell. The way you talk about your sister, so full of passion. Admittedly, you are an idiot, and stupidly stubborn, but," Dick gave him an exaggerated, loose shouldered shrug. "who am I to judge?"

Jason's face was blank. Dick held his breath, hoping he had not somehow pissed him off. Then, Jason surged forward and grabbed the sides of Dick's face and kissed him hard, pushing him back into the wall.

Dick had been taken by surprise, but he quickly got over his shock and kissed him back.

Undeniably, this was much better than their first kiss. Even though Jason had just drank, he had taken care to swallow everything, so his mouth did not taste of Dick's own blood.

Instead, Jason's lips were soft and plump. His tongue swiped into Dick's mouth, which Dick was a little relieved about. He was still apprehensive about the twin rows of sharp teeth.

It was a bit of an awkward position. Dick was sitting cross-legged, leaning back against the wall and Jason was on his knees over Dick's lap, cupping Dick's head and tilting it up. His wings had flared out, much more powerfully than before, blocking the light, and giving Jason a bit of an angelic look with the backlighting. Not that Dick could really see it, he was busy.

A moment later, Jason pulled back, his eyes drawn to Dick's face with swollen lips and blown pupils, and his head cupped by Jason's hands.

"God, you're beautiful," Jason whispered.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11**

" _Yes, I've noticed. But in this dream, you were really talented… And then you died."_

" _Okay… So did you wax poetic about my life and weep dramatically over my grave?"_

* * *

Three more days of continuous drinking Jason's blood before Jason deemed Dick "ready".

Jason was carrying Dick bridal style, with Dick's arms locked around his neck.

"Where are we going?" Dick asked, trying to calm his nerves. He did not even know why he was so nervous. Maybe it was all that had changed in the past three days.

He had been drinking about three to four bowls a day, and insisting that Jason drank at least once per day, and changes started happening.

First, his back started itching like crazy, and no amount of scratching or rubbing up against the cave would soothe it. It was not until Jason showed up, saw the angry scratches down Dick's back, that he realized what was happening and quickly made Dick stop. Jason explained that it was just his soon-to-be wings growing in. And then he gave Dick a massage that did a lot for the itching.

The next day, the itching had died down to a dull throbbing, and Dick noticed that his teeth seemed a lot sharper. Several times, he'd absently run his tongue along his teeth and prick it against something sharp, occasionally drawing blood.

The day after that, Jason explained that the weird, jelly-like bumps under his skin were just final adjustments his body was making.

Dick felt absolutely terrified.

Jason shifted Dick in his arms and spread his wings. "Ready?"

Dick rested his head against Jason's shoulder. "Not really."

"Too bad," Jason said with a smile before taking off at dangerously high speeds and launching them out of the cave and into the sky.

Dick's eyes squeezed shut as wind whipped past his face, and he clutched Jason's neck tighter, afraid the siren would drop him.

Jason chuckled as he stopped ascending. "You can look now."

Dick slowly opened his eyes and peered over Jason's shoulder to look around him.

He breathed in sharply. They were hovering about a good thirty feet in the air, with Jason's wings beating slowly to hold them up. It was a clear night. The stars sparkled in the sky above them, no closer than they had seemed from inside the cave. The moon hung low over the ocean.

They were flying over a cliff, one with rolling waves of grass. In the far distance, mountains loomed in the darkness and nothing else.

"It's beautiful, but…" Dick turned back to Jason. "I don't… understand? Why are we flying?"

Jason grinned. "Oh, that little detail. There's one tiny part of the spell left. It, heh, requires you to be dropped from a great height."

Dick immediately hugged Jason's neck tighter. "Are you fucking crazy?! You can't drop me from up here! I can't fly! Get me back to the fucking ground!"

Jason quickly pressed his lips to Dick's forehead. "Don't bother holding your breath," he whispered. Then he let go.

Dick felt Jason's arms disappear from underneath him, and as gravity took hold, Jason slipped his head out from the noose Dick had created with his arms.

And so he fell.

Rather gracelessly. Dick's eyes were pressed shut as tightly as possible, and the wind hurt his bare skin as he fell. And he just kept falling. He grit his teeth and prepared for impact on the surface of the ocean or on the ground.

But instead, he slipped under the water's surface without much of a ripple.

The ocean water was cold. It was freezing, and Dick scrambled to get his arms working to bring himself back up to the surface.

His lungs started burning, and his muscles had all by frozen up. He could not feel them at all. He could not even open his eyes, so he actually had no idea which way was up.

Then, something touched his shoulder.

And Dick screamed. He screamed and screamed, thrashing like a madman, with no idea whether or not his limbs were actually open.

" _Calm down and open your eyes, idiot,_ " came a rather clear voice.

But Dick did not process it, as his brain was only thinking two things. PANIC and WHAT THE FUCK TOUCHED ME and PANIC on a loop.

" _Dickie, stop fighting me and open your eyes._ " It was sung this time, the sound seeming to surround Dick completely and fill his entire being with calm. His eyes snapped open.

There was a face right in front of his. Dick almost did not recognize it at first. Jason looked different underwater. His pale skin was even more pale, but also more beautiful. His hair floated around his face like a mane, and his eyes were an otherworldly blue. He had both his hands cupping Dick's face.

" _You okay_?" Jason asked. Dick expected his voice to come out garbled and for bubbles to disturb the space between them, but there was not. His voice was as clear as it was on land, and no bubbles.

Dick's own mouth opened, but no sound came out. And also no bubbles. Alarmed, Dick screamed.

Jason grimaced and pulled his hands away as Dick realized that he had just sucked in a lungful of ocean water, and his voice came out as clear as Jason's. Then, his eyes landed on what was behind Jason and he stopped screaming, cutting himself off.

Jason turned his head to see what Dick had been so stunned about.

An iridescent blue tail, the same color as Jason's eyes, twitched behind him.

" _Ah, yes, I forgot to mention that. Whoops,_ " Jason laughed.

Dick looked down at himself. He looked… mostly fine. His arms and chest were still the same as before, but then, his skin melded into scales. Light, electric blue scales. And a tail as well.

Dick opened his mouth to scream, but Jason glared at him.

" _If you scream again, I will rip out your vocal chords. But I'm not particularly fond of cleaning up messes, so if you scream again, I will leave your ass here and come back when you've figured it out."_

So Dick did not scream. _"I'm a- You're a-"_ He took a deep breath of water. _"Jason. You're a fucking mermaid."_

Jason rolled his beautiful eyes. _"Siren. Still a siren. Mermaids can't fly."_

Dick cocked his head in confusion. _"So am I a mermaid? I can't fly."_

Jason looked a tad bit exasperated. _"No, you're also a siren. The spell just requires for this transformation to be the first transformation. Once you get out of the water, you can get wings and all that._ "

" _Oh,"_ Dick looked down at himself again. Then, he looked at Jason's tail. _"Why's my tail so obvious?"_

" _It's supposed to match your eyes. And before you ask. Yes, your eyes that color in this form. Any other questions?"_

Dick took a moment to take all the information in. He shook his head slowly.

Jason smiled and held out his hand to Dick. _"Then, Dick Grayson, let me show you my world._ "

Dick returned his smile and put his hand in Jason's. Then, his eyes widened.

His hands were tinged blue. His fingernails were sharpened into small claw-like nails. And he had webbed hands.

Dick screamed.

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

" _Aren't you narcissistic. But yes. I think I did. I cried myself awake, in fact. You had already left by then, and I panicked a little. The dream had felt quite real."_

" _Oh. I'm sorry, Dickiebird. It was just a dream, right? I'm right here. This is what is real."_

" _Hm."_

* * *

 _FIVE YEARS LATER_

Dick sighed, bending over to pick up dirty sock from where it was half hidden under the tablecloth. He shifted the child on his hip, who had one of his hands gripping the hair at the nape of Dick's neck, and his other hand covered in slobber, and in his mouth.

Dick tossed the sock into the laundry basket as he went back into the kitchen, to take the cornbread out of the oven.

He grimaced when he noticed the child's current affixation. "Bruce, baby, don't do that." He plucked the child's hand from his mouth. Spit covered his chin. The boy stared at him solemnly, his dark green eyes wide.

Dick gave Bruce a smile and jiggled the child a little. Long strands of black hair flopped in front of the young child's face. Bruce's face went from solemn to slightly annoyed.

Dick was a little worried about his youngest child. He was a little thin for a child his age instead of chubby and round. The boy also almost never smiled. He rarely showed any emotions. And Dick knew very well that the boy could talk, but he absolutely refused to speak for some unfathomable reason.

No matter what Dick does, he could not get the toddler to smile.

But, there was an exception to Bruce's indifference: his older brother, Alfred.

Now, Alfred was a happy child. At age five, he was loud, energetic, and a complete nightmare. Alfred is often found running around the house, breaking things, and yelling loudly. But despite how different the brothers were, not only in personality, but appearance as well, they got along really well. Alfred had blond hair, blue eyes, and a smile that showed off his two missing front teeth.

But the brothers had a connection that was special.

Several times now, Dick would be in a frenzy, searching for Bruce, who had developed a habit of hiding in small places, in and out of the house (how he even got _out_ of the house is a mystery to Dick). But six times out of ten, Dick found Bruce with Alfred. Usually, Alfred would be reenacting some imaginary battle with a dragon with a small stick and stones, and Bruce would sit there, clapping his small hands and grinning, while cheering his brother on with broken sentences.

Then, Alfred handed Bruce a stick as well, and Bruce immediately hit Alfred with it, so Dick intervened before crying ensued.

Dick huffed with a slight laugh as he took the cornbread out of the oven. Just then, Alfred came charging into the kitchen, with a large brick in his hand. He took a lap around the small dining table and started charging out.

"Alfred!" Dick yelled, his eyes widening. He quickly set Bruce down on the armchair and chased his eldest out of the room.

Alfred yelled a loud battle cry, holding the brick over his head, using both hands. His arms shook slightly with the effort.

"Alfred, give me that brick!" Dick yelled. "Where did you even find that?!"

"Never!" Alfred yelled with a laugh, ducking around Dick and passed the armchair, where Bruce was _supposed_ to be.

"Bruce? Baby, where are you?" Dick asked, panic setting in. He got down on his hands and knees, peeking under chairs and behind doors. "Damn it," he growled. "Not again."

Just then, the front door slammed shut, and Alfred's shriek of laughter soon followed.

Dick sat back onto his feet, tossing his hair out of his eyes as Jason walked in.

In one arm, Bruce was playing with his hair (another thing he loved to do), his face a blank mask as always, and green eyes wide and absorbing all that is around him. There was a streak of dirt on his pale cheek.

And tossed over Jason's shoulder was Alfred, who was still shouting angrily and kicking for Jason to "let go of me, foul beast! I shall slay you and rescue my brother from your evil grasp!" The brick was gone, at least.

Dick smiled thankfully.

"Lost something?" Jason asked, his dark blue eyes sparkling with mischief. He set Alfred down, who very politely asked to hold Bruce, and when Jason gave Bruce to him, he kicked Jason in the shins and ran off, yelling that he had defeated the beast. Bruce squealed with laughter and pulled his brother's hair.

Jason walked over and helped Dick up. He kissed his husband on the lips gently.

"They're absolute terrors, aren't they?" Jason whispered against Dick's lips.

Dick chuckled lowly. "They are. I'm starting to wonder if the midwife made some sort of mistake. Neither of them seem like ours."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Jason said, his hand trailing to Dick's lower back and pulling him closer. "Alfred has your eyes. And he's taken to saying 'foul beast' a lot when referring to me."

Dick pulled back a bit, feigning offense. "That was once! And I was joking! I did not know that they were sneaking around listening in on our conversations!"

Jason just smiled, kissing Dick again. "And Bruce… he's… yeah, he's not like any of us. Maybe we should tell him he's adopted when he gets older."

Dick smacked him. "You are a horrible father."

"You're no better. You lost both of them. And I found them."

"You just got lucky."

"Or I'm just a good father."

Dick scoffed, pulling away and taking off his apron. "Yeah, right. You dropped Bruce off the cliff last month! He was ten meters from hitting the surface of the ocean before you caught him!" Dick said accusingly. "Don't think I haven't forgotten or forgiven you for that." He started towards the kitchen. "Maybe he's just really traumatized and won't speak to us anymore because of that. I'll never forgive you, if that's the case."

Jason groaned and followed. "It was not at all like that! I did not _drop_ him. He crawled off the edge himself! Besides, he would have survived that fall, and you know that."

"I don't care if he'll survive. If he were _human_ , he would've died."

Jason sighed heavily. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Again." He held Dick by the shoulders and looked into his blue eyes. "Forgive me?" He kissed his husband lightly again.

Dick relaxed and returned the kiss. He pulled away and licked his lips briefly. "No," he said. "It's going to take much, much, much more than a kiss. Alfred! Suppertime! Bring your brother with you, please!" he called.

Jason looked horrified. "I certainly hope you're not referring to another child!"

Dick gave him an equally horrified look. "Knowing our luck? The third will be even worse!"

To prove his point, Alfred came trampling in on his hands and knees, with Bruce sitting on his back, a huge smile on his face, and a long handled brush in his hands, like some sort of scepter. A crudely made flower crown sat lopsidedly on his head. Alfred stopped at Dick's feet.

"The king has arrived! Kneel before him, peasants!" Alfred crowed.

Dick gave Jason a pointed look and picked Bruce up. He pried the brush from Bruce's hands, and Alfred stood, brushing off his pants.

He promptly gave Jason a hug. "Hello, Father!" He said cheerfully. "Can you take Bruce and me town tomorrow? We're going hunting!"

Jason ushered Alfred to the table and sat down next to him. "Oh? And what are my sons hunting?"

Alfred smiled at Bruce, who was set down in the high chair next to him. Dick started dishing out the food. Alfred waited politely for his share, and for everyone to get some before eating. He also swallowed before talking. "It's a secret."

Jason arched an eyebrow. "A secret, now? Not even something you can tell your old man?"

Alfred shook his head, his long blond hair whipping back and forth. "Nope!"

Jason chuckled. "Alright then. I guess I can take you guys into town. I need to pick up some things anyway."

Alfred's face split into an even wider grin. "Thank you!" he said. Then, he leaned over and whispered something loudly into Bruce's ear. Dick and Jason pretended they could not hear them.

Bruce blinked a few times as he took in the information. Then, he slapped his brother across the face. Alfred looked annoyed for a moment before going back to his food in a good mood. They both finished quickly. The moment Alfred was done, Bruce stopped eating as well, so Dick always tried to feed Bruce as much as possible before Alfred decided it was time to go.

As his children left, it was just Jason and Dick left. Jason poured Dick a small glass of red wine.

"They weren't too hard on you today, were they?" Jason asked.

Dick shook his head with a smile. His job to stay home and watch the kids was tiring and frustrating sometimes, but he enjoyed it for the most part.

"And you?" Dick asked, sipping his wine. "Anything?"

Jason smiled widely. "I think so. It's- It's obviously just a theory at the moment, but all seems to make sense now. I think I finally found a blood substitute that works." His eyes shone with pride, and seeing him like that made Dick's heart burst with the same emotion.

"That's great!" he said.

Jason nodded, barely concealing his excitement. Then, he took a deep breath. "But, again, I don't want to get too excited just yet. Don't want to jinx it." He took a drink of his wine, but a hint of his smile still showed around the cup. "Let's talk about something else."

"Well, last night, I had the strangest dream," Dick commented.

"Yeah? Was it a good strange, or a bad strange?"

 **FIN~**


End file.
